Memristive devices (or simply memristors) are a class of electrical components that potentially can be used for a variety of functions including as switches in electronic circuits and as non-volatile memory. Memristors include two-terminal devices in which the magnetic flux between the terminals is a function of electric charge passed through the device.
Memristors may be molecular- or nano-scale devices. When used in electronic circuits and non-volatile memory, such a nano-scale memristor may incorporate a single-atom thick layer of graphite, normally referred to as graphene. Under certain conditions, the graphene layer may form a barrier to the movement of ions between the terminals. To make this memristor operate as a switch or as non-volatile memory, some mechanism may allow the transport of ions through the graphene layer.